Covid-19 mortality has increased by 43% week on week in Africa, as hospital admissions climb rapidly and governments face oxygen and intensive care bed shortages.
The number of deaths increased to 6273 in the week ending July 11, up from 4384 the week before. Africa is now only a fraction of a percent below the weekly high of 6294 deaths set in January. Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia accounted for 83% of all new deaths in the previous week.
The continent’s case fatality rate, which is the percentage of confirmed cases that die, is currently 2.6%, compared to a global average of 2.2%.
Covid-19 cases have risen for eight straight weeks, topping 6 million on 13 July 2021. Over the past month, Africa recorded an additional 1 million cases. This is the shortest time it’s taken so far to add 1 million cases. Comparatively, it took around three months to move from 4 million to 5 million cases. This Covid-19 surge is the fastest the continent has seen.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said that the surge is driven by public fatigue with key health measures and an increased spread of variants. To date, the Delta variant, which is currently the most transmissible of all variants, has been detected in 21 African countries, while the Alpha variant is in 35 countries and Beta in 30.
Hospital admissions in around 10 countries have increased rapidly and at least six countries are facing shortages of intensive care unit beds. Demand for medical oxygen has spiked and is now estimated to be 50% higher than at the same time in 2020, yet supply has not kept up. A rapid WHO assessment of six countries facing a resurgence found that just 27% of the medical oxygen needed is produced.
The number one priority for African countries is boosting oxygen production to give critically ill patients a fighting chance,” Dr. Moeti said. “Effective treatment is the last line of defence against Covid-19 and it must not crumble.”
Insufficient quantity, disrepair or poor maintenance of production plants as well as challenges in distribution, scarcity of cylinders, personnel or technical skills are among the barriers to adequate medical oxygen supply in Africa.
